


To Be Honorary

by kibasniper



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Brotherly Angst, Canon Backstory, Coffee Shops, Confrontations, Developing Friendships, Doubt, Drabble, During Canon, Ficlet Collection, Fights, Forgiveness, Friendship, Frustration, Gen, Identity Issues, Injury Recovery, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Mother-Son Relationship, Moving On, Moving Out, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Regret, Starting Over, Tattoos, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22994026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibasniper/pseuds/kibasniper
Summary: A collection of stories written for Honorary Titan Fan Week 2020.
Relationships: Adeline Kane Wilson & Joseph Wilson, Jinx & Raven (DCU), Koriand'r & Leonid Kovar, Thunder & Lightning (Teen Titans)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 20





	1. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Favorite Honorary Titan - Despite her efforts, Tara doesn't get much studying done.

“Uh, an iced mocha, please. Oh, can I also get a cake pop? Cookie dough if you have any left.”

“Burning the midnight oil, huh?” Seymour remarked, punching her order in the cash register.

Tara’s lips twitched as she fished out her debit card and handed it to him. “Come on, dude, it’s not that late. Another geometry test that I didn’t study for, y’know?”

“I hear that.” Seymour chuckled. He swiped it through the scanner next to his register and watched the light blue dots flash on his screen. As he waited, he called the barista next to him and asked her to get Tara her cake pop. Another employee was already making her drink, faucets flipping on quickly behind him and ice being thrown into a tall plastic cup.

“Okay, all set,” he said, taking the small bag from his coworker. He handed Tara her debit card and cake pop, adding, “You know we close in thirty minutes, right? I dunno if you’re gonna get that much studying in.”

“Better than nothing, four-eyes,” she gently ribbed, glancing at his coke bottle sized glasses.

“Hey, don’t diss the specs.” Seymour raised them, the black rims shining under the fluorescent lights. “You know I got bad eyes, and these are the only frames that can handle my prescription.”

She laughed and waved him off so he could tend to another customer behind her. Taking her drink from the other barista, she searched the coffee shop for a suitable seat and found many to her liking. Considering it was close to closing time, Tara had her picking and selected a tiny desk in the corner. It didn’t look too sticky compared to the other wooden, wobbly tables that she passed, wrinkling her nose when she spotted splotches of old milk and bread crumbs scattered on metal seats and stools near the counter.

She settled down, the chair creaking despite her lithe body. Crossing her ankles, she clipped her blonde hair behind her ears and pulled out a spiral notebook from her book bag. Flipping open to a random page, she narrowed her eyes at her pencil scribbles of rock formations and limestone pathways in the margins. Some were quick, hasty doodles while others had more effort put into them, their shading darker near the ridges of the formations she sketched underneath a few math problems.

She stuffed her cake pop into her mouth and gnawed through it. The chewy texture felt like she was chomping through a wad of gum. As she worked her way through it, she wondered if the birthday cake flavored cake pop would have been the better choice when she swallowed, the residue of the gob unnecessarily sticky in her mouth. (Then again, she had never been good at making the best judgment regarding anything in her life.)

Crumpling up the bag, Tara leaned back in her seat and glanced out one of the many windows. The bustling nightlife of Jump City hurried around her while she remained still. Cars dashed across the intersection without a single care for the people on the crosswalk. Horns beeped, and lights flashed, her gaze transfixed on a van clipping the curb like speeding bullet, its wheels spinning without purpose in midair before slamming back down, hurrying towards an unknown destination.

She wondered what kind of expression the driver must have been making at that moment. If they were gasping or screaming, if their face was milk white or blood red, she couldn’t picture it. (When she faced her death, she roared and boiled alive for only a millisecond when everything suddenly numbed.)

Shaking her head, Tara sipped her drink and sighed. The cool taste on her tongue was far better than the sickeningly thick cake pop. She sipped generously, downing half of it in a couple gulps. The ice clinked together, and she jiggled her hand, the cup shifting to let more liquid seep to the top instead of being trapped underneath the clear brown cubes.

Returning to her work, Tara turned the page and scrutinized the contents. There were more doodles, most of them she had forgotten. Butterflies dotted the margins and fluttered between the thin blue lines. They rested upon stones, carried across the sea drawn in a light teal colored pencil, skipping and never falling to the depths below.

“Ten minutes, Tara,” Seymour called, appearing around the corner.

She raised her head, blinking. Lights around the corners were being shut off, and shadows crawled more vigorously along the tiled floor. Customers shuffled out the front door clutching napkins and cold coffees. A twitch formed underneath her left eye, the muscle throbbing so quickly that she recoiled back in her seat. She hadn’t realized how much time she wasted and tipped her chin to her chest.

“You, uh, need a few more minutes? I’m on cleaning duty tonight. You can stay for as long as I’m here,” Seymour offered, scratching the back of his head and raking his fingers through his curly black hair.

She managed to twist her mouth in a smile. “Yeah, thanks, dude. I just got distracted, I guess.”

“All good.” He nodded and turned around at the sound of his name. Catching a broom someone threw at him, he swept the leftover straws and dust off the floor away from Tara.

As his footsteps shuffled away, Tara closed her notebook. She sighed and untensed her shoulders, lowering them as if gravity was pressing down on them. Standing up, her chair clinked against the window, and she chugged the rest of her iced mocha, not caring one bit if the sweet drink trickled down the sides of her face and stained her white dress shirt.

Pushing in her seat, Tara slipped her book bag over her shoulder and left without looking at Seymour. They didn’t need to say goodbye when they would be failing the same test tomorrow. She paused in the doorway and tossed her cup in the trash, watching it circle around the rim before slinking into the sea of other plastic and paper cups. 

Seymour watched Tara escape into the night, running without a purpose just as she had done so very long ago. He held the broom to his chest and felt the darkness grow around him. As his coworkers continued shutting off lights, Seymour closed his eyes and decided to take out the trash before leaving.


	2. Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: Favorite Honorary-centered Episode/Issue - After their dealing with the Titans, Thunder comes across a melancholy, cynical Lightning.

The clouds were thick and heavy despite the previous deluge of rain. It had cleansed the city of the fire monster, destroying their creation and leaving only wafting smoke in its wake. They had helped right their wrongs and made new allies, learning a lesson along the way as they now sought to help others with their powers rather than destroy for the sake of amusement.

But the clouds remained full. Thunder felt it underneath his sandals as he trekked across the spongy surface. It squelched and sloshed, the rain remaining within the underbelly of the cloud. A quick pound from him should have released the flood, but when he glanced around, he noticed his particular cloud was grayer than the rest, a shade close to inky black much to his bewilderment. The other clouds were rounded and fluffy, and their hues were various tints of light gray among the night sky, leaving him to wonder why their cloud was the one brimming with rain refusing to spill out.

The air around him should have smelled sweet and cold, but it still wafted with smog. Pursing his lips, Thunder straightened and peered over the cloud’s edge to the city below. Like fireflies, the windows on skyscrapers, businesses, and apartment buildings glowed. Although he couldn’t hear anything from such a distance, he imagined the citylife with its boisterous, booming noise, sounds of a peaceful time after the chaos he had caused.

Soon, the clouds would move and so would they. Following the direction of the wind was how they always lived. They moved according to the will of the clouds, but his attention remained wrapped around the current cloud they stood upon, its thickness something of an oddity, for they should have gleefully performed their dance to free the droplets, gracing the city with the sweet smell of a drizzle at the very least.

Thunder looked over his shoulder to where his brother was perched. One knee was hugged to Lightning’s chest, reminding Thunder of a hawk ready to fly. His chest throbbed, and his face screwed up in distress at the solemn sight. Tracing where Lightning’s bolt had struck him, he ignored the throbbing plaguing his upper body and ambled over to him, his sandals sinking into the cloud.

“Brother, how do you fare?” he rumbled, his voice low and gentle.

Lightning’s gaze was focused on something Thunder could not see. He could not tell if Lightning was watching the stars blinking above their heads or at any cloud somewhere off in the distance. His other leg dangled off the cloud’s edge, his sandal threatening to slip off as he rolled his ankle. His shoulders rose and sagged when he finally took a breath, and Thunder waited as he always had for his brother’s response.

“Bothered,” Lightning admitted, keeping his attention straight head.

“By what or whom?” Thunder glanced at the spot next to him. He would have sat down, but Lightning gave him no inclination that he wanted his presence around.

He raised a finger and dug it into his chest. Pressing down hard enough for his fingernail to redden, he sighed. “Myself,” he murmured, looking over his shoulder. His bright eyes were half-lidded, dulled and dimmed like lightbulbs losing power, and he narrowed them on to the center of his chest where he had struck his brother, the memory fresher than a wound stinging from salt.

Thunder’s brow wrinkled. He crossed his arms as if he could block out the spot from Lightning’s sight. He felt his armor constrict around him, suddenly cutting off the blood to the rest of his body as a shiver ran through him.

“Do not say you are uninjured. It is clear that you are faring worse than Lightning,” his brother ordered, raising his flat hand when Thunder tried smiling. He leered at the city, scowling. “Yet, you have not addressed it. Yes, we have done something extraordinary with our powers, but it does not come close to what Lightning has done to you.”

Lightning dragged his fingers through his hair. The strands hung around him. It was as if all the static electricity in his hair vanished, letting his hair weigh down and curl outwards around his forehead guard.

Like all brothers, they had fought before. They bickered, bantered, and sometimes came to blows. Lightning was usually the victor, persuading Thunder and pulling him along to play without a single care in the world. Their fights always ended like that. With Thunder following Lightning’s lead, with him bowing to his brother’s will to keep him happy, and now, it had been changed so drastically.

There had never been a fire gleaming in Lightning’s eyes before when they fought. There had never been a burning desire to actually harm Thunder despite their countless arguments. When he had raised his hand high up in the air and collected enough energy to finish him off, it was the catalyst of how far he had gone. Only Thunder’s words were able to bring him down from his megalomaniacal high, preventing him going on a spree of terror that Thunder knew Lightning would never survive.

“You must detest me, yes? I could have…” Lightning cleared his throat and dragged his thumb across his cuticles.

“Never,” Thunder boomed, and Lightning scoffed, drumming his fingers on his thigh..

He cocked his head over his shoulder, asking, “You persist with your denial? How annoying.”

Thunder tensed and tried ignoring the stinging sensation raking across his chest. He tugged at his helmet, saying, “There is no denial, brother. I am not angry with you.”

“You and I are well aware of what could have happened. This reality we are in-” Lightning cut a line in the air with a quick spark. “-could have been altered had Lightning unleashed that strike.”

Thunder was more than aware of that. He was tuned in to how quickly his heart pumped in his chest, how it carried blood throughout his body and chilled him to the bone. He knew the injury existed underneath the cloth and metal mesh of his armor, to which, Lightning traced the wound in mid-air.

“At that range, as we both know, you could have-” The words choked in Lightning’s throat, his blunt way of speaking cut off with emotion. He grit down on his molars and huffed, pressing the heel of his palm to his brow. He felt the clouds shift underneath him as Thunder knelt next to him, his expression writhing with worry and only subjected Lightning to another guilty blow.

“I do not find you at fault,” Thunder entreated, cupping his brother’s shoulder. “We were both volatile. I attacked, you reacted. It is understandable why you would-”

“Does that make it right? Is it proper to attack one’s brother when he is trying to stop his sibling from making a crucial mistake?” Lightning hissed, his nostrils flaring and lips curling.

“Tavis-” Thunder bit his tongue when Lightning flinched. “-I can never blame you.”

Lightning’s face grew long, his eyes wide and jaw twitching as it lowered. He quickly gnashed his teeth together and pulled both knees to his chest before burying his face between his legs. His spine pressed against his skin, his shuddering immediately prompting Thunder to wrap his arm around him, and underneath them, the cloud wept.


	3. Onward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: Relationships - Jericho leaves his mother's home for a chance at heroism.

“So, you’re going.”

Jericho stood in the doorway of his family’s home. He took a breath and held it, his body tensing as she stared down at him. He focused on the cigarette she pinched between her forefinger and thumb, the light gray smoke wafting around her and forming a pseudo-halo around her frizzy mop of brunette locks.

Adeline sighed and took a long drag. She breathed in the heavy smoke, relishing in the taste, before blowing out a long, thin stream of smog. Her son’s eyes never left her cigarette as she lowered it to her hip, bits of ash flicking off onto the white shag carpet.

“You’ve packed your bag,” she remarked, her gaze falling on to the duffel bag he clenched in both hands, “and you’ve dressed yourself in the outfit I made for you.”

The purple tunic he donned had been sewn with love. He remembered waiting by Adeline’s side as she weaved the needle and thread together, her form like a goddess bathed in the pale light of the lamps in their living room. Her mouth twisting upwards in a smile, a few wrinkles and dimples lifting by her lips, her eyes bright like the stars in the night sky when she presented him the tunic, the final piece needed for his costume.

Jericho nodded. Their separation had been inevitable. They had spent months contemplating and discussing the benefits and risks of him going out on his own. His powers could help many while others would seek him out for their bidding if he was not vigilant or if he trusted too readily. But in the end, it was Jericho who made the final decision, leading to them waiting in the twilight of his departure.

Adeline raked her other hand through her hair. He stepped forward and offered his hand. His mother accepted, letting Jericho run his thumb over her palm, her taut skin bulging with veins and bones.

“I knew this day would come,” she whispered, flicking her cigarette over his shoulder and out the door. She didn’t care if it caused a fire. She’d rather their lawn burn down the house and cleanse it from the suffering which had stewed behind closed doors.

Dropping his bag, Jericho settled into her arms as she wreathed them around him. He nestled into her shoulder, her taller frame reminding him of his father and brother. He had always been the baby of the family, the shortest, the sweetest, the gentlest, the one in need of the most help.

“You’ll do great things,” Adeline crooned into his hair, smelling the floral scent of his shampoo, “and if you want to return, you know I’ll welcome you home. If you need me, if you ever find yourself over your head-” She parted from him and clutched his shoulders. “-you know you can contact me. I’ll come running-” She grinned. “-and shooting anyone who tries harming you.”

Jericho cupped her face and nodded. His hands were soft and smelled of lavender soap, leaving her aching for his embrace when he drew away. He bent over and picked up his bag, a cresting smile on his mouth as he slipped it over his shoulder, and he didn’t look back, marching out into a world unknown.

She shut the door behind him. If she learned anything in her life, it was to never linger, to never stay for too long. Adeline pulled out another cigarette and a cheap lighter from her pockets. With a controlled hand, she lit the tip, sucked in the fumes, alone in the darkness of a home filled with nothing but nightmares and reassured herself it was good.


	4. Molten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: With the Honoraries - Hot Spot fights Slade's geocentric apprentice as she patrols Jump City, but Terra wonders how he arrived in the first place.

“So, you’re the one who took over this city? You’re a lot scrawnier than I imagined.”

Standing atop her rock, Terra leered over her shoulder. Through the fog, she made out a figure burning in the gray air and standing on the cracked concrete which used to be an avenue. He was a the newer Titan, one she hadn’t encountered before and only knew through Robin’s stories. He was supposed to be based in Morocco, an entire ocean away from Jump City, but somehow, he arrived during her reign, and she twisted herself around, facing the smirking boy leaning against a broken light post.

“Terra, is there a problem?” Slade asked, her earpiece buzzing.

“No. Just a bug crawling out of the woodwork,” she muttered, smirking at the newcomer.

“Good. Eliminate him like you’ve done the rest.”

Terra played with her split ends and nodded. Slade would be watching her every move, and he would have taken over if she gave up, but this was merely one Honorary Titan when she had already defeated the crux of the Titans. She had drowned Raven, the untrusting witch, in a sea of mud and had bested Robin, the so-called Boy Wonder, in combat, making the hothead charging his fists with flames nothing more than a pest.

But if she was being honest, something unnerved her. He was too new to the Titans. He had no reason to appear in Jump City. He should have been stationed in Morocco, so why was he in Jump City? Because he heard what had happened and raced to help? Slade’s robots would have decimated any dissenters or anyone appearing on the horizon. Even the local police and firefighters proved powerless in their wake, but Hot Spot arrived without any aplomb, simply showing up behind and announcing his presence.

“How did you get here?” she demanded, her rock moving forward with a tap of her foot.

“I was in the neighborhood,” he said, knowing she did not believe him for a second.

“You’re supposed to be in Africa, Morocco to be exact.” She narrowed her eyes, the visible one appearing slitted. “Unless you have magic powers or something, I don’t think you walked here.”

Hot Spot shrugged, his carelessness pinching her nerve. Crouching, he held out a fist and sneered, “I haven’t been a Titan for too long. Maybe a month tops, but to someone like you, I don’t think I owe a traitor anything.”

Her muscles tensed, and her mouth tightened into a straight line. Raven’s voice echoed in her head, and she banished it to the farthest, darkest crevices of her mind. Being toyed by someone she hadn’t met, especially someone who lacked seniority in the Titans, drew out her rage, and she roared, throwing her arms up and cutting through the humid air.

Coiling streams of rubble shot up from the ground next to Hot Spot. He jerked backwards, one beam slamming inches in front of him, and he fired out a stream of flames from his palm. It burned through the stones and dirt, making a mad dash to Terra’s face, but realizing her rocky platform would be ineffective, she lunged off and landed on her knees. She watched the stone explode from the fiery blast and clenched her fists, catching the sharp shards before they could scatter in mid-air. She punched forward, shooting them off like bullets at Hot Spot, who maintained his smirk the entire time much to her bafflement.

“You know, I like to think fire is stronger than earth,” he jeered, cleanly incinerating the stones with a burst of fiery energy.

“Well, you wouldn’t have volcanoes without earth, huh? You think I can’t control a little magma?” Terra jeered and slapped her palms on the ground. 

Hot Spot’s grin faltered as the ground rumbled underneath his feet. He heard her bellow like a bear ready to strike down its prey. His eyes widened as massive, smoldering slabs of molten rock wrenched free from the earth’s crust. He stumbled in place, his thoughts scrambling as Terra thrust them all at him, her manic smile too twisted to be human.

But although she commanded the stones, he mastered the heat within them. 

Gnashing down on his molars, he clenched his fists and held them out in front of him. Smoke wafted off him, fire slipping between his fingers. Before the rocks could crush him into a melty paste, he snatched one of them much to Terra’s shock, her mouth dropping open at what she considered to be the pinnacle of insanity.

But then, the rock cooled. The reddish aura it had dulled to a ashen gray. Before the other rocks could slam into him, he propelled himself off the stone he had chilled. The other rocks smashed down on to the space where he had once stood, and Terra’s dumbfounded expression was his personal highlight of their brawl.

She raised a shaky finger. “How-how did you-? But the rocks-! I-! Wait, wait, Robin never said you could-”

“Apprentice,” Slade hissed in her ear, cutting off Terra’s stammering, “don’t show him any fear.”

“Temperature control,” he simply stated. “You think a guy who can control fire can’t also control the heat?” He twisted his finger by his temple. “You gotta be pretty stupid if you didn’t figure that out.”

“Don’t mock me,” she snarled through gritted teeth, every fiber of her being shouting at her to crush him.

“Can’t mock what’s already lower than dirt.”

A shiver ran up her spine, and she wondered if Slade felt it, too. She gnawed on her chapped lower lip, his hissing echoing in her head and making her brain ache. His harsh criticism and orders filled her thoughts, fueling her desperation for victory as she lunged forward, her footsteps clumsy in her wrath. 

She punched at his chin and missed. Hot Spot crouched and slammed his heel into her hip. Grunting, Terra raised her claw and pierced his back with a multitude of small, jagged stones. As he yelped, he left himself wide open, and Terra smashed her knuckles into his jaw, making up for her failure with a thrilling rush of blows. She slammed her steel-toed boots into his chest when he stumbled, kicking him to the ground and bashing his ribs, a maniacal laugh desperately trying to claw free from her throat.

Pain burst in his body, but Hot Spot suddenly grinned. He snatched her foot when it rained down upon his forehead. As shock dampened Terra’s glee, he lunged forward, tearing her off the ground and slamming her on to a chipped sidewalk. He grimaced, phantom pain pricking the back of his head as tears suddenly brimmed Terra’s eyes, her agony almost making him feel sorry.

But he couldn’t be sympathetic towards someone who had committed too many atrocities. Taking a breath, he cupped the bag clipped to his belt and said, “Better stay down. Don’t wanna take too many head hits or you might end up unconscious for real,” he said, taking in her closed eyes and writhing form. He pressed inwards on his bag.

“Terra! Get up! Are you going to let one Honorary Titan defeat you?” Slade snarled in her ear as she struggled to peel back her eyelids.

“Of course not,” she hissed back, feeling as though her teeth had cracked. She rubbed her aching head, but when she opened her eyes, she blinked. She looked left and right, up and down, and even under her legs, but Hot Spot had suddenly vanished. A gasp escaped her as she hurried to her feet, rocks flying around her and striking abandoned buildings. As one sliced through a fire hydrant and caused it to burst, the water spraying high into the air and gushing around her, she shrieked, “Where are you? Where’d you go, you coward? Gonna hide when the fight’s just getting good?”

“Apprentice!” Slade barked, and she flinched, her expression softening as he sighed and lowered his voice. “When you had your eyes closed, it seems he escaped. My security systems aren’t picking up any trace of him left in the city.”

“But-but how? He was right here! Right in front of me,” she sputtered, tearing her fingers through her hair.

“Calm down. Think rationally.” Slade hummed in her head. “He must be the calvary. Perhaps the other Honorary Titans will oppose us, and he was their warning. It’s a sign that the Teen Titans aren’t through with us yet. Be on guard and continue patrolling for any others.”

A part of her wanted to snarl back at him, but she bit her tongue. She waved her hand and wrenched another hunk of rock from the concrete. Stepping on to it, she sighed and combed through her lank strands of hair, continuing into the fog as her master ordered.

Unbeknownst to Terra, Hot Spot had indeed vanished into thin air. When he opened his eyes, he was back in his flat in Morocco. He shuddered and rubbed his head, looking over his shoulder at the girl clad in only deep blue and black.

“Well, even though the trip back here was way colder than I thought it would be, that worked out pretty good,” he said, grinning at Raven.

She nodded and raised her cloak. “If anything, it really helped us get back into the city undetected through the sewers. Thanks for being our distraction.”

“When Robin called me up, I couldn’t say no. I had to repay the favor after the whole Master of Games tournament, y’know?” He shrugged and crossed his arms. “You guys gonna be good by yourselves? That girl’s tough.”

“We’re tougher,” Raven vowed, anger crossing her complexion, and she threw her cloak around herself, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Sighing, Hot Spot powered down. He ran his fingers through his curly hair and wondered what kind of outcome would emerge from the war in Jump City. Rubbing his aching shoulder, he pulled out his Titans Communication from the bag on his belt and tossed it on his bed, deciding to rest in case he was needed again.


	5. Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: Backstory - Red Star struggles keeping control as Starfire implores him for the reason why he isolates himself.

“Do you feel the isolation?” Starfire asks, her hands warmed by the mug. She brings it to her lips and sips, the taste of ginger and mint reminding her of peaceful times on Tamaran.

Red Star peers at her with beady scarlet eyes. He should be in isolation, but she had coaxed him out of hiding. Soon, her friends will arrive, and she will leave. He will be safe with the knowledge that he had protected her from the elements, and all will return to the normal.

“Isolation?” he repeats, stepping away from the many monitors lining the wall of his vast living space. He chuckles and shakes his head. “This is my duty. I must stay here as I have explained to you.”

A crinkle forms in Starfire’s brow. She sets the mug on the oak coffee table and crosses her ankles. The couch is weathered with cushions which sink in a little too much. She fidgets with the smooth fabric and feels a coil threatening to pierce through as Red Star crosses over to her, standing at the far side of the couch.

“But you must wish for more,” she offers, her eyes shining with concern. “This base, this home of yours, it is so far away from others. You are-” She pauses and taps her chin. “-I believe my friend Cyborg said the phrase is ‘left to your devices?’”

“I suppose the phrase works. My situation must be strange to you, so I understand.” He leans into the armrest and closes his eyes. There is much he doesn’t wish to impart. His secrets are locked behind machines and codes, away from the civilians he desperately wishes to protect, and although he feels heat pool throughout his body, he suppresses it with a quick tensing of his muscles, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

He needs to wait her out. Then, she will be on her way. She will rejoin her friends, and he will resume his duties.

“I was a soldier. I had been selected for a great mission,” he starts and falters, his thin lips pursing together.

Starfire hurries to her feet, the table clattering when her knees brush against it. “Please, do not push yourself. If you do not wish to tell me, then you do not have to.”

He smiles. Her honesty is more than appreciated. It’s more than his superiors had given him when he signed the nondisclosure agreements, his bony arm quivering as he dragged his signature across the rapidly moving pages. 

“Your injuries,” Red Star says, gesturing to her cheeks, which have since regained their natural color, “should be healed. If you wish to leave, you may. I will not stop you.”

“And you will remain here?” she asks, wringing her hands.

“It is for the best,” he insists, turning away. He digs his fingers into his well-muscled stomach, applying enough pressure to stave off the build-up. Taking a breath, he forces his mouth to twist into a smile. “Though, since it seems you can be around me, then I will not be a bother.”

Starfire gasps, her hands shooting to her chin. “You are not a bother! I am unsure if I have done anything to make you believe such an untrue fact, but I most certainly do not.” She lowers her arms and floats towards him, quickly taking the mug and grinning up at him. “I am happy to make a new friend, so please, do not talk in the negative way of speaking.”

Her order is stiff and earnest. She is a leader through and through, someone who will take control of a situation while others cowered. Red Star breathes in deeply through his nose and holds his breath, buying time for his response as heat reddens his pale skin.

“Understood. I am sorry,” he eventually says, letting the tension break around them.

Her shoulders lower, but her worry remains. She sets her lithe, strong hand upon his shoulder and squeezes. None of the other soldiers in the security force would have given him a second glance. If he had cried or shuddered, they would have regarded him with stiff upper lips and white-knuckled fists.

“Do you wish to talk about it?” she asks, and he cups his hand over hers.

“Soon. Perhaps soon, but I must be starting dinner,” he replies and withdraws from her, leaving Starfire to gaze at her hands, wondering why they feel as if they are smoldering.


	6. Tattoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Character Redesigns - Argent gets a tattoo to suit her new name, style, and identity.

“Pretty simple design if you ask me. You sure this is good enough? I mean, your tastes are-”

“Well, I’m not asking for chiding when I’m paying you to do it or I can take my business elsewhere.”

The tattoo artist grimaced at Argent’s sharp tongue. She supposed she had it coming. Critiquing a client’s design was one way to lose that customer. She nodded as Argent smirked, crossing her legs and gazing at the variety of potential tattoo designs lining the walls in framed pictures. 

The shop she had picked was as sleek as she expected. Cold, teal blue floor lighting caught her attention, and Argent shifted her gaze across the hardwood ground to the few carpets towards the entrance. She was resting in a leather chair, her back slowly inclining as the tattoo artist lowered her seat. Smoothing her wild locks of ebony hair off her cheeks, she clipped them behind her ears and sighed.

“So, right in the center-” The tattoo artist gently tapped the center of her collarbone. “-here?”

“Oh, no, right about here, please.” Argent pointed half an inch lower. “Just make it symmetrical-” She glanced at her nametag. “-Phyllis. Huh. Wasn’t expecting that to be your name.”

“That’s what they all say,” Phyllis said, puffing out a sigh.

Argent chuckled under her breath and closed her eyes. It was her first tattoo, but she wasn’t nervous. She had seen other friends get them without their parents’ permission. They simply faked IDs and so did she. Although she tried ignoring the anxiety bubbling in her stomach, she maintained her cool persona and pretended she was somewhere warm and tropical rather than cold from the zealous air conditioning blasting around them.

Phyllis raised the pen, the deep red ink matching Argent’s hair and eyes. “Since you want me to make it there, there’s going to be some pain,” she said, leaning forward and resting the tip above her silvery skin.

“It’s fine. I’m a tough girl,” Argent said, furrowing her brows.

“Okay. Kept still starting now.”

Argent’s fingers curled into her palms as the needle pressed into her skin. It felt like Phyllis was pricking every pore in that spot as she slowly dragged her hand upwards. Argent rubbed her lips together, her jaw tensing as heat spread across her chest. She tightened her grip on the armrests, doing her best to not squirm, knowing the consequences would be marring to her skin. 

She felt Phyllis drag it through her, doing her best not to gasp or squeak. She didn’t want to seem weak in front of her, especially considering she was New Zealand’s newest hero. She had a reputation to maintain, one far, far away from the rich livelihood she had once known in New Jersey. She could take brief agony, for she had endured much worse.

“And done,” Phyllis remarked, lifting her pen. She leaned back and procured a hand mirror from the nearby table. “That was shorter than I expected, but what do you think?”

Argent gripped the mirror and held it out in front of her chest. Three clean lines cut through her skin. Two vertical lines reached upwards and crossed at the tips. One horizontal line sliced through them. She was tempted to massage it to soothe the dull throb but quickly tucked her other hand to the lace frills on her skirt, not wanting to ruin Phyllis’ work or her new look.

“A for Argent,” she mused, nodding. “Perfect. It’s as good as I hoped it’d be. Thanks, love.”

“Thanks for giving me an easy job,” Phyllis replied, taking the mirror back. “You rest. I’ll get the receipt and aftercare products for you.”

As Phyllis got up and hobbled over to another room, Argent tilted her chin to her chest and grinned. Her new identity suited her perfectly, and the small, glaring tattoo cemented it as her reality. She traced it an inch above her skin, deciding to come back for another tattoo when she healed, one that would certainly make her greedy oak of a father cry out in his prison cell.


	7. Accept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Party/Get Together - Jinx leaves the party for the Titans celebrating the Brotherhood of Evil's defeat. Raven silently pursues and confronts her about an issue plaguing both of them.

The wary looks are enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Jinx cups her soda can and swigs down a mouthful, her cheeks bulging like a squirrel’s filled with nuts. She sighs and keeps her back facing them, her squared shoulders tensing as the whispers reach her ears.

“Yeah, that’s Jinx,” Bumblebee says to her teammates as they crowd around her near the couch. “She was at the H.I.V.E. last time I saw her. One of Blood’s best students, too.”

“Can’t be too sure with that one, right?” Speedy questions, Mas and Menos dashing away to play with Thunder and Lightning when the twins wave them over. “Who’s to say she’s not a spy? Undercover for a new H.I.V.E. sting?”

“Well, the Brotherhood is gone, and Kid Flash said he picked her up to help us in the fight. Maybe she turned over a new leaf?” Aqualad offers, the scoffs from Bumblebee and Speedy telling her to go.

Jinx crushes her can and slips it in the trash. She squeezes past Wildebeest and Pantha by the counter, the two of them locked in a fierce arm wrestling contest with Red Star supervising. Her footsteps are light and airy as she evades the others, weaving her way through the many Honorary Titans amassed on the steps, and she flees through the sliding doors, exhaling a held breath when they shudder and close behind her.

She fiddles with her choker and glances at the hallway. It’s as bland as she remembers. Metal walls painted in dark hues with the same material underneath her platform heels, it’s the same boring decor. Her footsteps echo as she scales the hallway, her eyes flitting around to each locked door, recalling the storage closets and laundry room as she passes them.

She has no real destination in mind. She also knows that she should be with the others. Unlike them, however, she isn’t an Honorary Titan (yet) and has no real purpose for staying. She had come because she had nowhere else to go after the Brotherhood of Evil’s destruction, trusting Kid Flash’s judgment over her own self-doubt and self-inflicted isolation.

Sighing, Jinx presses her back to the cool wall and drags her hand down her face. A tickle rises in her throat and a chill trickles down her spine. She has a sneaking suspicion that if she opens her eyes, then Kid Flash will be next to her with a smirk and plate filled with greasy food. He can vibrate his molecules fast enough to suddenly appear, so she assumes that odd anxiety bouncing in her gut is about him.

Instead, she yelps when she glances over and spots Raven staring at her. Her arms shoot forward, hexes scattering off her fingers in a panicked flurry, but they fizzle out in mid-air before they can destroy anything. She gasps like a fish out of water and tries regaining control over her voice, her face darkening as Raven quirks an eyebrow.

“No one is allowed to leave the party unless it’s to use the bathroom,” she flatly remarks, her body concealed by her cloak. “Do you have to use the bathroom?”

Jinx clears her throat and fans herself, ignoring the sweat beading on her brow. “N-no, no. I wasn’t going anywhere. I just needed space. What, do I need your permission to breathe now?”

Raven’s cloak shifts, parting slightly to reveal her lower half. Jinx watches her cross her arms over her chest, her neutral mask cracking with annoyance. She takes some pride in that subtle change when Raven narrows her eyes, choosing to sneer at the girl whom she considers one of her greatest rivals.

“Is this permanent?” Raven asks.

She clicks her tongue. “What do you mean by that?”

“You changed sides and helped us turn the tide against the Brotherhood of Evil.” Raven tilts her chin upwards. “Why? How would that benefit you when you’re still a wanted criminal?” Her arms tense, the muscles within them twitching. “You know we froze your friends, right? All of them except for that cyclops who got away.”

“His name is See-More. Sheesh, you’ve been fighting us for so long, and you can’t even give a little dignity to him by remembering his name?” Jinx retorts, a nerve pinched. She had pretended not to notice See-More running for his life through an escape door as their friends were frozen. She had destroyed that door with a swift hex the second it slammed shut, covering it with rubble, making it look like part of the collapsed wall. If she had deserved a second chance, then so did he with whatever path he chose for himself, especially since he was the only one who knew of her betrayal beforehand and protected that secret.

Raven bristles but nods. “You’re right. Do you know where he went?”

“No idea.” She shrugs. “It’s not like I keep in touch with my new enemies since I’m now a Titan.”

“You’re not one.” She narrows her violet eyes into slits. “You haven’t proven yourself trustworthy.”

“Please, blasting Madame Rouge into Hot Spot and Wildebeest so they can deal the final blow isn’t enough? Letting you freeze my former team into ice sculptures isn’t enough? Changing my tune isn’t enough?” Jinx growls, her sharp fingernails gouging into her palms when she clenches her fists. She stomps forward and fills the space between them with her lithe body. “What else do I have to give for it to be enough?”

Raven shakes her head, the wispy strands of deep purple hair brushing against her cheeks. “You don’t get it at all, do you?”

Jinx does her best not to swallow or show any fear as she hisses, “What are you talking about?”

Raven glances at the wall and lets her eyelids droop. She tenses, seemingly remembering something. Jinx doesn’t let her reminiscence and snaps her fingers by her right ear. Raven flinches and grunts, her nose wrinkling and lips curling in disdain as Jinx smirks at her.

“Trust is earned. Just because you helped us once does not mean I have to trust you when you gleefully attacked us on too many occasions,” she says, lowering her voice and leering up at Jinx. “Kid Flash might trust you, but if you want my trust, then you’re going to have to work hard for it just like she did.”

Jinx gnashes down on her teeth only for her mouth to part. She leans back, murmuring, “‘She?’”

“There used to be another Titan who entered our lives and enriched them, and she proved herself.” Raven closes her eyes. “Then, I’m sure you know what happened.”

Jinx feels like she’s having a pop quiz. She had been away from Jump City back at H.I.V.E. Academy when another Titan joined their group. She was a geomancer and had only been with the Titans for a couple of months, but in that time, Jinx remembers reading newspaper articles about her heroism and powers saving the day from common crooks and supervillains.

But then, that girl had betrayed them. She had crushed them into a fine dust and blew them away for the wind to carry. Jump City belonged to the madman she had once been hired to work for during her first H.I.V.E. mission with Gizmo and Mammoth, and the city had been transformed into a ghost town filled with rubble and robots.

Jinx quickly realizes the implication behind Raven’s words. “That was-that was Slade’s other apprentice?” she breathes out, her fingers touching her chin.

“Terra. Her name was Terra,” Raven corrects, Jinx lowering her hand to her hip. She looks off to the side, a hint of venom in her words. “She snuck into our ranks and earned our trust only to help Slade take us down. I almost drowned.” Shuddering, she sighs and tilts her head. “In the end, she saved us. She saved everyone at the cost of her own life.”

“She’s-she’s-?” Jinx sputters out and awkwardly flaps her hand.

“Entombed in her own powers,” Raven gravely finishes. She leans forward and grips Jinx’ shoulder, applying light pressure, but it’s enough to make her grimace. “I don’t want history to repeat itself. We couldn’t help Terra, and she couldn’t trust us, but you-” She curls her fingers through the flowing pink cloth around Jinx’ shoulders and pulls her forward. “-you’re much, much different from Terra. You can come and go as you please while she struggled, and I couldn’t help her.”

“I-I just-I just-”

“Jinx,” Raven firmly interjects, “trust is earned. If you want to be a Titan, then you’ll need to work a lot harder than she did.”

With that, she lets Jinx go. Her heels click on the metal floor as she heads back to the double doors. She pauses and lets her hand hover by the sensor. Glancing over her shoulder, she gazes at Jinx, watching her nibble on her lower lip and furrowing her brow, her thoughts clear as day on her face.

“But if you truly try like she did,” Raven says, “then I’ll accept you like I befriended her.”

She presses her palm on the sensor, and the doors hiss before pulling a part. She tiptoes inside, Jinx marching behind her. Jinx’ breath hits her ear as she passes her, leaving Raven to smirk as Jinx gets the final word.

“Bad luck isn’t the only option for me. I know that now,” she whispers, and she joins Kid Flash in the kitchen when he smiles and waves at her.


End file.
